Bed frame construction



Oct. 28, 1958 E. M. QUINTANA 2,857,602

BED FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 23. 1954 INVENTOR Edward /VZ Qui/#afmUnited States Patent O BED FRAME CONSTRUCTION Edward M. Quintana,Carrollton, Tex., assignor to Inca Metal Products Corporation,Carrollton, Tex.

Application August 23, 1954, Serial No. 451,427

1 Claim. (Cl. 5-202) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in the construction of bed frames and more particularly toadjustable and collapsible bed frames.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a bed frameconstruction consisting of a pair of side rails and a pair of foldabletransverse end rails, each composed of a pair of axially slidablesections for width adjustment of said bed frame. Of greatest importance,however, is an improved latch made stationary with each end rail sectionand engageable with the side rails of the bed frame, the latches servingthe multiple purpose of rst: retaining the frame in extended oroperative position; second: providing legs designed to receive castersand especially in reducing or obviating the torque load usually imposedon the end rails caused by end thrusts on the frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide a torque arresting latchconsisting in its original form of a rectangular metal plate having alateral ear or extension integral with each corner adjacent one end ofthe plate, the latter being bent into substantially V-shape from itsmidsection to the end thereof carrying the ears while the remainingportion of the plate toward its opposite end is collapsed into tubularform to receive the shank of a caster. The ears are riveted or otherwiseathxed to an end rail section adjacent an end thereof, one of the earsbeing elongated and bent at right angles to the rail section and againinto parallelism therewith and slotted to receive a ilange of a siderail pivoted to said end of the end Irail section, thus to brace the endrail section against a twisting action imposed thereon by endwisemovements of the bed frame.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds when consideredwith the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of the bed frame showing the latchin engaged and disengaged positions in relation to a side rail of theframe.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the same elements shown inFigure l.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the improved bed frame on a reducedscale.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the end rail section clamps perse.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing; the bedframe, generally indicated by reference numeral is made up of a siderail 11 and a corresponding side rail 12 of identical construction, bothrails being formed from right angle stock.

End rails 13 and 14 are each composed of relatively slidable sections.End rail 13 consists of an angle member 15 which is nested with anidentical angle member 16, the members being relatively slidablelongitudinally, which, of course, provides for width adjustment of thebed frame 10.

An end rail clamp 17 is shown in Figures 4 and 5 and consists of a metalstrap whose ends 18 are bent inwardly "ice at angles of 45 to embracethe outer surfaces of the anges of the end rail section 16 while themidsection of the strap extends across the open side of ythe vend Irailto engage the flanges of the rail section 15, as revealed in Figure 4.When the desired width adjustment of the bed is attained, a set screw 19is driven against the vertex of the inner rail section 15, thus clampingVthe two sections together. v y

The Vend rail 1 4 is composed of longitudinally slidable, nestedsections 20 and 21 which are identical to end rail sections 15 and 16and are secured together inadjusted positions by a 'clamp 17 whichisinterchangeable with the clamp at the opposite 'e'nd of the bed frame.

The end rail section 15 is pivotlly attached to the horizontal flange 22of the side rail 11 by means of a bolt or rivet 23. In like manner, theouter end of the end rail section 20 is secured to the ange 22 of siderail 11. The outer ends of end rail sections 16 and 21 are pivoted tothe horizontal anges of the side rail 12. By virtue oi the pivotal:connection between 'the end rail sections 15 and 20 and the side rail11, the end rail sections may be folded into relative parallelism withthe side rail 11. Similarly, the end rail sections 16 and 21 arefoldable into parallelism with the side rail 12, the clamps 17, in themeantime, being fastened to one or the other of the end rail sections bythe screw 19 to prevent its displacement.

Referring now to the combined leg and latch element 24; it will beobserved that a substantially rectangular plate is bent along the medialline 25 of the plate from its approximate midsection to its upper end.The plate is iirst formed with a lateral ear or wing 26 adjacent oneupper corner and an extension 27 of the same width but of greater lengththan the wing 26 is formed on the opposite edge of the plate on the sameplane with the wing 26. The wing 26 and the extension 27 are eachsecured to the vertical flange 28 of they end rail section 15 by a rivet29. The lower edges of the wing 26 and the extension 27 are ush with thelower edge of the end rail section 16 but the upper edges thereof and ofthe plate are spaced slightly above the top of the end rail section 15to serve as a means to limit inward folding displacement of the end railsection 15, the upper edge of the element 24 being brought up againstthe inner edge of the horizontal flange 22 of the side rail 11 when theend rail section 15 is folded to a parallel position with said siderail.

That portion of the plate forming the leg and latch element 24 below itsmidsection is collapsed about a rod die to produce the tubular lowerextremity or socket 30 which is adapted to receive the shank of a caster31. The same design and manner of attachment are employed with respectto the companion elements 24 except that the latter are made in rightsand lefts, as exempliiied in Figure 3.

The extension 27 of each of the elements 24 is bent to form a portion 32disposed at right angles to the plane of the end rail section 15 and asecond bend is made therein to produce a leg 33 which is parallel withthe plane of the section 15. The leg 33 is formed with a horizontal slot34 which, when the bed frame is assembled, receives the depressedportion 35 made in the horizontal ange 22 of the side rail 11. Thedepression 35 is made to compensate for the elevated position of the topedge of the element 24 which was earlier explained.

There is a tendency to impose on the end rails a torque when the bedframe is subjected to endwise thrusts, the` torque causing undue stresson the pivot bolts or rivets 23 as well as eventual fatigue in the metalat this point. The element 24 reinforces the end rail sections adjacenttheir pivotal points and further, the exteni sion 27 locates the latch,provided by the `slotted leg 33,

resistance against the imposed torque While at the same time limitingthe degree of oscillative displacement of the end rail section 15.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of somemodification and such modification as may be construed to fall withinthe scope and meaning of the appended claimvis also considered to bewithinv the spirit and intent of the invention.

Y What is claimed is:

In a bed frame, the combination of a pair ofside rails and a pair of endrails each formed from right angle stock', the end rails each consistingof a pair of parallel sections in longitudinally slidable juxtaposition,each section being pivoted at its outer end for foldability kintorelative parallelism with a side rail, a combined leg and latch memberaffixed to and depending from each end rail section adjacent its pivotedend, the leg and latch member comprising a substantially rectangularplate bent along a medial line from approximately its midsection to itsVupper end, the portion of the plate below its mid section beingcollapsed to form a tubular lower extremity or socket adapted to receivethe shank of a caster, the plate having a lateral ear adjacent one uppercorner and an extension of the same width but of greater length than ,4the ear being formed on the opposite edge of the plate, in the samehorizontal plane as the ear, the ear and the extension each beingsecured to the vertical flange of the end rail section, the upper edgesof the ear and the extension being spaced above the top of the end railsection for engagement with the inner edge of the horizontal ange of theside rail to limit inward folding displacement of the end rail sectionrelative to the side rail, the eX- tension being bent to form a portiondisposed at right angles to the plane of the end rail section, and asecond bend being made therein to produce a leg which is parallel to theplane of the end rail section, the leg having a horizontal slot thereinfor engagement by a depressed portion of the horizontal flange of theside rail.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 896,426Wood A11g. 18, 1908 1,654,529 Cable Jan., 3, 1928Y 2,203,193 EttingerJune y4,V 1940 2,607,051 Jackson Aug. 19, 1952 2,676,338 Robertson Apr.27, 1954 2,721,338 Resnick Oct. 25, 1955

